Traction-engine.



B HOLT.

TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22, 1909. 1,026,037

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

\m L \Y Patented May 14, 1912.

%M%ZZ 25 B. HOLT.

TRACTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 22. 1909.

1 Q26,O37@ Patented May 14, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

a N? 6 M BENJAMIN HOLT, OF STOCKTON,

TRACTION-EN GIN E.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May it, 11912.

Application filed December 22, 1909. Serial No. 534,420.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, BENJAMIN Hour, a citizenof the United States, residing at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquinand State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements inTraction-Engines, of which the following is a specificaand combiningmeans permitting the truck to rock relative to the frame, and allowingthe truck members to oscillate relative to each other.

The invention consists of the parts and the construction and combinationof parts as hereinafter more fully described and claimed, havingreference to the accompanying drawings, irrwhich- Figure l is aperspective ofthe structure, partly broken away. Fig. 2 is a transversesection of the truck and frame. Fig. 3 is a similar section of the truckshowing the tie-rod in elevation. Fig, 4 is a side elevation of a truck.

The embodiment of my invention as illustrated comprises a suitable frameA, to one end of which is secured an approprlate member B adapted toreceive a steeringmechanism of any preferred form, which is not shown,and at desirable points the frame A may be braced by numerous tie barsand plates or their equivalents, C. Securely fastened to convenient tiebars C-C are plates 2 to which are plvoted as at 3, reach or spacerlinks 4, transversely disposed and pivoted at 5, to roller trucks 6.There is one of these tracks on each side of the frame, and each isprovided with a plurality of rollers 7 adapted to bear upon a suitableflexible traveling belt or platform 8 which travels around a rearsprocketwheel 16 and front idler 17 journaled on frame A, Fig. ,4.Resting upon each truck 6 are s mm s 9, engaging projectin brackets 1 dsed ured to the frame A, thus af fording a strong resilient connectionbetween the frame and each truck and yieldingly supporting the frame onthe trucks. For the purpose of maintaining the trucks upright andkeeping them fro tipping over, and at the same time permit each truck tooscillate independentlyofthe other as the vehicle progresses over. roughand uneven ground, or evenover ordinaryoroads or streets, I employ thecross-rod 11 which turns free at the ends in journal-boxes 12 onthe-trucks; and in conjunction with rod 11 I employ the arms 13 whichare attached each to a truck and extendinward and are secured to' boxes12' carried centrally on rod 11, or are otherwise sustained. The arms 13practically abut, preventing the trucks tilting sidewise; and in orderto prevent excessive spreading, the tie rod is provided with set collars14 approximately near its ends and adjacent to the outer boxes 12.

By this construction the trucks may tilt endwise relatively to the frameA, upon the pivots 3, and they may rock independently on the rod 11, theframe meanwhile being yieldingly supported on the truck springs 9, isefi'ectually protected frornthe racking and destructive vibrations ofthe trucks. The links 4.- provide means whereby the side of the trucks 6are maintained in parallelism with the side of the frame A and suitableconnections, as the radius rods 15, are employed to sustain the trucksand prevent excessive longitudinal motion of them relative to the frame.It will be seen therefore that the springs are relieved from all tensileor torsional strain, and are required only to yieldingly support theframe, and are.

not depended upon to tie the trucks to the frame.

The great advantage obtained by this peculiar design and structure is insaving the frame A from violent vibration, and allowing the trucks toindependently yield in conformity to undulating surfaces, therebyproducing greater tractive efl'iciency, and the links are an effectivepreventive against twisting strains reaching the frame.

Having thus described .my invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent is 1. The combination with a main frame and flexibleendless traction members, of independent wheeled trucks upon whichopposite sides of the frame are supported, said trucks being locatedwithin said traction members, journal boxes fixed to the trucks,

atrans'verse shaft mounted in said boxes and about which the boxes andtrucks may oscillate, and springs located between the trucks and themain frame.

too

2. The combination with a main frame, of

a pair of endless, flexible, traction members,

trucks on opposite sides of the frame and within the traction members, ashaft disconnectcd from the main frame and pivotally connecting thetrucks so that each truck has a free, limited, oscillating verticalmotion, springs interposed between the main frame and the trucks andsupporting the load on the trucks,-and means for maintaining the trucksparallel with the main frame.

3. The combination with a main frame and flexible, endless,tractionmembers, of

wheeled trucks upon which opposite sides of the frame are supported,said trucks being located within said traction members, journal boxesfixed to the trucks approximately midway of their length, a transverseshaft ;about which the boxes and trucks may springs contiguous to theshaft, upon which springs the main frame is supported, trans versedistance bars having their outer ends pivoted to opposite ends of thetrucks, and their inner ends approximately midway between the sides ofthe main frame.

5. Thecombination with a main frame and flexible, endless, tractionmembers, of independent wheeled trucks outside of the main frame andlocated within said traction members, springs upon the trucks upon whichthe main frame is supported, a shaft journaled across the trucks andabout which said trucks may oscillate, and radiusrods extendinglongitudinally and having their opposite ends fulcrumed respectively tothe trucks and the main frame,

6. The combination with a main frame and flexible, endless tractionmembers, of wheeled trucks within said traction members and swiveled tooscillate about a normally horizontal axis, springs mounted upon thetrucks upon which springs the rear portion of the main frame issupported, transverse distance bars connecting the truck frames with thelongitudinal central portion of the main frame, and longitudinallydisposed radius rods between the trucks and the main frame. A

7. The combination of a main frame and flexible, endless tractionmembers, wheeled truck frames within said traction members and flexiblyconnected with opposite sides of the main frame, elastic means carriedby member.

the trucks, and upon which the main frame is supported, and arms orplates extending from the upper members of the truck frames, andsubstantially abutting beneath the main frame.

8. The" combination with a main frame and flexible, endless tractionmembers, of wheeled trucks within the tractionmembers and swiveled tooscillate about a normal horizontal axis, springs mounted upon thetrucks, upon which springs the rear portion of the main frame issupported, transversedistance bars having their outer ends pivoted tothe upper portion of the truck frame, and extending beneath the mainframe, and a plate depending centrally from a transverse member of themain frame, to which plate the inner ends of said bars are pivoted.

9. The combination of a main frame, wheeled truck frames flexiblyconnected with opposite sides of the main frame, whereby they mayoscillate about a normal, centrally disposed horizontal axis, andelastic means carried by the trucks, and upon which the main frame issupported, endless nfovable belts upon which the truck wheels travel,

and transverse distance and longitudinal radius rods.

10. The combination with a main .frame, 7

of a pair of endless, flexible, traction members, trucks on oppositesides of the frame and within the traction members, anvofise't arm fixedto each truck and extending trans versely of the vehicle withmeans forpivotally supporting the ends of said arms so that each truck has alimited, independent,

vertical rocking motion, and springs interposed between the ,main frameand the trucks.

11. The combination with a main frame, ofa pair of endless, flexible,traction mem bers, independent trucks on opposite sides of the frame andwithin the traction members, springs interposed between the main frameand the trucks for yieldingly supporting the load on the trucks, andpivotal connecting means by which each truck is permitted an independentvertical oscillatory motion to accommodate each truck to inequalities inthe path traversed by it,

12. In a traction engine, the combination with a main frame having asteering wheel and a flexible, endless traction member,"of a truckwithin saidtraction member and supportedon the ound run of the tractionmember, means or yieldingly supporting the frame on the truck, guidewheels 10111- naled on the frame and at the ends of and independent ofthe truck, and around which wheels said endless traction member travels,

means for maintaining the truck upright, and a link connection betweenthe frameand an end of the truck to limit the en'dwise' movement of thetruck inside of the traction I.

18. The combination of a main frame and flexible, endless tractionmembers, trucks located within said traction members, springs betweenthe frame and trucks and on which the frame is supported, front and rearwheels for each truck and in the plane thereof and journaled on theframe and independent of the truck, and around which wheels therespective traction members travel, and a transversely disposed,yieldingly supported, central pivot member about which each truck mayoscillate independently.

14. In a traction engine, the combination of a frame, two flexible,endless, traveling traction members, end wheels journaled on the framearound which each of said members travels, a truck within each memberagainst which the ground run of the traction member is supported,springs interposed between the frame and trucks whereby the trucks andtraction members may yield intermediate of said wheels, each truckswiveled to oscillate independently about a horizontal axis, transversedistance bars connecting the trucks with the frame, and links pivoted tothe ends of the trucks and to the frame to limit the longitudinalmovement of the trucks with respect to the frame.

15. In a self-propelled vehicle, the combination with the main frame andflexible endless traction members, of independent trucks located withinthe traction members, means for yieldingly supporting the frame from thetrucks, and transverse extensions rigid with the trucks and pivotallysupported to maintain the trucks in upright position and permitindependent vertical rocking movement of each truck.

16. In a traction engine, the combination of a main frame having a frontsteering wheel and flexible, endless, traction members, truckssupporting the rear of the frame and around which the traction memberstravel, said trucks having their front and rear ends pivotally connectedwith the frame to keep the trucks in line, and intermediate yieldingconnections between the trucks and independent of the frame for keepingthe trucks upright and permitting them to oscillate independent of oneanother, said connections including a shaft extending be tween thetrucks and journaled at its ends on the trucks, and arms having each anend fixed to a truck and the other ends of the arms turning loose onsaid shaft.

17. In a vehicle, the combination of a main frame and a pair ofsprockets journaled on each side of the frame, the sprockets of eachpair arranged in line and themselves supporting no part of the weight ofthe vehicle, an endless flexible track belt passing around and guided byeach pair of sprockets, a truck traveling on the ground run of eachbelt, resilient means interposed between each truck and frame, eachtruck having a longtiudinally extended operative face normally in aplane below the level of its sprockets whereby the weight comes on thetrucks and not on the sprockets, and a transverse rigid extension foreach truck, each extension having a pivotal support at one side of thetruck and arranged so that the two trucks are maintained upright andeach truck is permitted to rock and yield vertically independent of theother.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN HOLT.

Witnesses T. W. FOWLER, C. W. FOWLER.

